Amid the most turbulent and unpredictable period in Westminster for decades, a very public battle is being waged at the front lines of the Labour Party.
MPs are working hard to undermine the leadership of hard-left skipper Jeremy Corbyn and, in the last 24 hours, the party leader has watched 34 members of his Shadow Cabinet resign over his 'lacklustre' campaigning in the lead-up to the EU referendum on Thursday (June 24) .
Alongside the mass resignations from his front bench, a vote of no confidence has been tabled that is likely to trigger a leadership election .
Mr Corbyn's Shadow Chancellor and closest political ally John McDonnell has publicly announced he will not run for the top spot, but this has not stopped some Labour supporters calling on the Hayes and Harlington MP to step up.
'I won't stand'
Speaking on the BBC 's Sunday Politics show on Sunday (June 26) Mr McDonnell said: “No I won't [stand].
“Some in our party and enemies of the party try to divide and rule all the time. It's never going to happen.
“Jeremy and I have been close friends for 30 years, the best political allies. I will always have his back, and if he has to stand for another leadership election I will be the campaign manager.”
Mr McDonnell added that even if Mr Corbyn did not stand in another leadership election he would not throw his hat into the ring.
He previously told getwestlondonwhy he had been campaigning to remain a member of the EU and criticised the conduct of both sides .
Bookies' sixth favourite
The Shadow Chancellor is currently sixth most likely to succeed Mr Corbyn according to bookmakers, with odds of 7/1, which puts him just ahead of Streatham MP and former Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna.
Top of the bookies' list is Hilary Benn, whose sacking by Mr Corbyn triggered the walkout from the Labour cabinet.
Mr Benn, who sits at 9/2, was removed from his post as Shadow Foreign Secretary after he told Mr Corbyn he had lost confidence in his leadership when Britain voted to leave the European Union.
Some Labour supports have taken to Twitter to voice their support for Mr McDonnell, with many calling for him to take over as leader or deputy leader.
An unofficial Twitter account, JohnMcDonnell4leader , was launched on Monday morning (June 27) but has yet to gather much support, gaining only two followers in its first hour.
But Mr McDonnell has also faced criticism alongside Mr Corbyn by the outgoing Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Chris Bryant, who resigned on Sunday (June 26).
'You regularly attacked the remain campaign'
In his resignation letter to Mr Corbyn, Mr Bryant said: “A major plank of Labour's longstanding economic and foreign policy was defeated in the referendum and we effectively handed the right in this country their biggest victory in a century.
“You left many Labour voters uncertain as to our party's position. You made speeches that undermined the campaign to stay in the EU.
“You and John McDonnell regularly attacked the Remain campaign.
“Sadly, the referendum has shown that you and your team cannot run an effective national campaign and that you do not command the support of the country.”
But Mr Corbyn has echoed Mr McDonnell's sentiment that he would stand again in any leadership election, and has remained defiant in the face of the walk-outs.
Mr Corbyn's leadership is under increasing strain from within the Labour Party and an election is very likely if the current leader opts to stand his ground.
